Infant&#39;s toilet seat



June 14, 1960 E. R. WONDRACK 2,

INFANT'S TOILET SEAT Filed Dec. 20, 1957 2 Sheets-Sheet l INVENTOR. EnwAao 2 .wouoancg zymm, mm QW- -r'ToQuEY-S June 14, 1960 E. R. WONDRACK 2,940,086

INFANTS TOILET SEAT 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Dec. 20, 1957 INVENTOR. EowAzn EMouoamK ATTOQHEY-S INFANTS TOILET SEAT Edward R. Wondrack, RD. 1, Box 514, Union Hill, Dover, NJ.

Filed Dec. 20, 1957, Ser. No. 704,197

1 Claim. (Cl. 4-239) This invention relates to toilet seats or trainers for small children, and more particularly has reference to a generally improved device of this nature, designed to be supported upon a toilet in such a manner as to prevent any damage whatever to the surface of the toilet fixture.

Conventionally, toilet seats or trainers for infants are so designed that they tend to scratch or otherwise damage the surface of the toilet seats or adjacent components of the toilet fixture. of a device of this type to a-toilet seat, and the removal of the same, tends to create scars by reason of the contact of the infants seat with the same portions of the toilet, each time the device is used on the toilet. Then too, the device itself tends to wear due to said repeated applications and removals, and this wears away protective material provided upon the infants seat, exposing bare metal which of course tends to scar the toilet fixture even more heavily.

In view of the above, one important object of the present invention is to provide an infants toilet seat or trainer that will not damage the toilet seat in any way, due to the fact that the device is not used upon the toilet seat, but rather, is completely out of contact therewith, being applied instead directly to the top surface of the bowl.

Another object is to provide a device of the character stated which will be designed to be wholly protectively sheathed in a manner to insure to the maximum extent against damage to the toilet'seat.

Still another objectis to provide an infants toilet seat or trainer that is designed for use on any of various toilet bowls differing from one another in respect to their particular design, without requiring any modification or redesign either of the infants toilet seat or of the water closet or bowl.

Still another object is to provide a device as stated which will be swiftly and easily applicable to or removable from the bowl.

A further object of importance is to so form the device that it will be capable of manufacture at relatively low cost, and will be attractive and durable.

Other objects will appear from the following description, the claim appended thereto, and from the annexed drawing, in which like reference characters designate like parts throughout the several views, and wherein:

Figure '1 is a perspective view of an infants toilet seat or trainer, in position upon a' conventional toilet bowl.

Figure 2 is a transverse'sectional view substantiallyon line 22 of Figure 1, showing the device in rear elevation.

Figure 3 is a top plan view of the device applied to the toilet'bowl.

Figure 4 is a transverse sectional view substantially on line 44 of Figure 3.

Figure 5 is an exploded perspective view of the device.

Figure 6 is a perspective view of a modified form.

Figure 7 is a view on the same cutting plane as Figure 4, showing the modified device applied to the toilet bowl.

Usually, the repeated application nited States Patent Patented June 14, 1960 Referring to the drawing in detail, designated generally at 10 is a conventional toilet bowl, said toilet bowl being provided with the usual connection 12 to a flush tank 14. The bowl has the usual side wall 11, tapering in a downward direction, and integral at its upper end with a ledge portion 18 having the usual conduit 19.

The device constituting the present invention includes a flexible bowl gripping member 20. This may be formed of rubber material or the like, and might, for example, be formed of a flexible plastic. It is mainly important that the material be designed not to abrade the surface of the toilet bowl, and it is further important that the device he formed in a manner to insure to the maximum extent that it will be readily washable so as to be easily kept in a sanitary condition, as well as being durable to withstand heavy use.

In any event, the flexible member 20 in the form shown in Figures l-S is of generally rectangular outer configuration, and has a substantially centrally disposed, generally rectangular opening 21. Projecting from one end of the member 20, at opposite sides thereof, are connector straps 22, 24, strap 24 being substantially shorter than strap 22 and having a separable fastener element 25 engageable with a complementary fastener element 26.

At the other end of the member 20 are connecting straps 28, 30, both short in length and having complementary male and female fastener elements 31, 32, re--' spectively.

A generally planiform metal plate 34 (see Figures 3 and 4) has a straight back edge (see Figure 3) and has side and front edges following a continuous arc and formed with uniformly spaced, small corrugations or flutes 35. The corrugations project upwardly to a slight extent out of the general plane of plate 34, the plate being wholly embedded, over its full area, within the member 20. As a result, the member 20 is caused to have small undulations 36 (Figures 2 and 4) and this arrangement insures to the maximum extent against relative movement of the plate and member or against any tendency of the plate to loosen within the member.

Formed substantially centrally within the plate 34 is an opening 37 (see Figures 4 and-5), which may be oval'as shown, in a typical embodiment. Opening 37 is in registration with opening 21, and supported upon the protectively enclosed plate, in position extending about opening 37, is a correspondingly shaped toilet seat 38 for the infant, formed of plastic, rubber, or any other suitable material. In the illustrated example, seat 38 has a guard 40 at its front, so that said seat would be of the type used by a male infant. The guard would be omitted on seats to be used by females.

Extending about the toilet seat is a chair structure 41, having side walls 42 formed at their lower edges with laterally outwardly extending connecting ears 43 (see Figures 4 and 5).

edges of the walls there are integrally provided arm rests 46. Openings can be formed in the side walls and in the back rests, facilitating grasping of the chair structure.

In the form of the invention shown in Figures 6 and 7,

the chair structure 41 is identical to that of the first form,

as is the removable toilet seat 38. In this form of the invention, plate 34 is identical to the first form, and chair" structure 41 is secured to the plate by means of the ears.

A back rest 44 is also formed in the chair structure, integrally with walls 42, and at the top:

l2R .5.& rarsu nately lliai eslsrinri a opks r. o k

amnesbesLIfiIcient to-causethe;hooks tohave a good gripon V the .hollo w ledgeportion 18. The; hooks arespringjen; sioned, being normally progressively decreased in distance apart-in adirectiontoward the distal ends ofthelegs of eaeh hook. The legs .of eachhookatztheir distal ends are outturnedeas aresult by astraightdownward movement of the device, said legs will be spread by thebowl ledge J resiliently, after which: the. legs will closeabout the flange or ledge portion in stradding; relation thereto as shown infigure 7 when-the infants toilet seat is. in its use 7 pos i e Thedevicecan of course beremoved with equal case, It is understood that in both formsofthe' invention, the d'eyice, would be;useddirectlyv upon the ledge portion, rather-than upon; the conventional toilet seat. As a: result, there is no possibility whateverofdamaging of the toilettseat surface-in any way. Still further, the space. surromittingthev infants toilet seat is fully closed, so that the infant cannot accidentally or intentionally drop article s into the water, etc. Still furthentheporcelain surface of the toilet bowl cannot be marred in any way,,

' since all-portionsof the device that comein contact :therewith are fully sheathed in a' relatively soft, protective a ria -1 1 r 7 As clearly shown in Figure 3, the seat 38 has a center aPQEtureflZbounded at its sides and backJbysideportions 54.and back portionl 56 of the seat 38.

ThesidewallsAZ and-the back wall 44 of the chair structure 4l constitu te upstandingabutments, engaging, I the side'portions 52 and-back portion 54 respectively,

Whentheseat 38 is centered over the opening 37.

Thus, a completely removable seat-38 is provided, that can be washed independently of the-remaining components of. the device, and that can otherwise. be kept in a. sanitary manner. Further, the. seat '38 can be discarded in the: event 'itishows signs of heavy deterioration due to long useandlfirequent washings. In such an event, arnew seat 38 can be purchased, without requiring the purchase oi the ,remainiug parts of; the toilet seat device comprisi-v ing ,the. present invention.

7 ,Another important characteristic of this. arrangement residesin the fact that theseat 38 can 'be' of two different frmsbneforfemales and one for males. Either-form canbe purchased bythe consumer, for. use with the chair structure, support plate, and bowl-gripping means. This:

I differences, inrespect-to the types offasteners-used, etc.

It is believed apparent. that the, invention is not necessarily confined to the specific use or uses thereof described above, since it may be utilized 'for any purpose to which it may be suited. Nor is the invention to be necessarily-limited to, thespecific construction illustrated and described, since. .such, construction, is only, intended to be illustratiyeofthe. pninciples-of operation, and the means presently. devised to carry; out. said principles, it being;. considered the? the. invention. c mprehends: any minor changein constructionthat may be permitted-within the scopeoftheappended claim. a V

e What is, claimed isz,

infantTs v toilet; device. fen dispositionupon a toilet bowl. ,having a, ledge portion, v comprising; a generally plantiform-support plate adapted, to; rest directly upon I eq tofthezopening, idside and back-walls defining said ledge, portion andhaving an. I opening; means I con,- nected with and; projecting ,downwardly below the plane of ,theplateadapted: for releasably gripping-said bowl; a rigidlyconstituted chair-structuresfixedly attached .to and projecting upwardlyfrom, said;v plane said chair struc ture; including side] walls 3 between. which the opening. is

disposed, said side walls being respectively; spaced laterally outwardly frorn thecorresponding sidesgof-theopening, said: 'chainstrueture further; including a back, wall fixedly -connecte d toand extending transversely between the side; walls,-saidbackwall beingspaced rearwardly from the .back edge. ofopening, whereby a :flat seat support. ledgeeis defined betweenthechair structure and the edge of the opening extending along theisidessand upstand ng ahutments,boundingsaid ledge; and .a toilet,

, seat having acentraL aperture, and including s'idey and back portions bounding said aperture said seat being-V removably positioned; upon the ledge wholly above, said plane with its aperture centered over said: opening said reducesconsiderably thecostiof manufacture, as'willl be, 7 V

readily apparent,v since the chair; structure, support plate, d ppi means can .mmaint ncha g dr ard:-

less of whethen-the de vice. isj to be used by a .male, or

femaleiniant. r

I i -1 e-no e v om i r r tene; seat; 38 ,is, positioned in. abutting relation to theechaiy structure, so; as tobe centeredover the opening; 37, the;

inner, edge of theseat 38, projects laterally inwardly beyond the edge of the opening 37 ,1 toprovide an overhang. I This is desirable topreventsoiling oitheplate 37..

R a ran e e is ne i w ichde -w s" 2. an

baek,,wall;144;of chair structure 41' are spacedoutwardly, fron1;the;sides,,and -back, respectively, of theopening-S'l; thusto define, about thelsidesand. back of the opening, a, planiforrn support ledge 600i the. plate 34,011 which ledge the at-3.8 is disposed-in the above-mentionedcem side. 1 and back portions. engaging the side and back; walls 'ofthe; chair structurerespectively,.- to retain the seatagainst. lateral.- and rearward displacement from, the

centered position thereof, said bowl-grippingpleans com.-

' prising a flexible member. having a ..subs.tantially v cen- Ii HKdisposed cpening;.receiying;1he -chai11; tr1 1cture,-- said,

plate being fixedly. secured to said rrns'zll laer,- said-memnc u ing. onnector st raps p e o extension about. theebowl tozconnect, the member, to the-bowl;

References. Citedpin-thefile of this patent UNITED/STATES PATENTS 612,076- Weston ocr.,11, 1898' 755,1,8-3- Spanjer; et-al. Mar-.22; 1904 1,189,377 Miller 1 Iuly4',"1916 2,015,412 Winding; o r. 8, 193a 2,676,332 Y Inman ;A 1. 27;-1954 FQREIQNPATEN SQ a 73,081 Denmark Sept. 11; r951 

